Fluid regulating devices

ABSTRACT

Fluid regulating devices comprises a tube having an axial passageway adapted to be connected to a fluid supply pipe, the tube being formed with a radial opening communicating with the axial passageway, and a ring surrounding the tube at the radial opening thereof, the ring being disposed within a housing and being contacted by a resilient gasket mounted over a vent opening formed in the housing, such that changes in the supply pressure cause the gasket to deform and the ring to move towards or away from the radial opening to regulate the flow of fluid therethrough.

United States Patent 1191 Rosenberg 1 1 FLUID REGULATING DEVICES [76] Inventor: Peretz Rosenberg, Moshav Bet Shearim lsrael [22] Filed: July 5, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 269,256

[4 1 May 13, 1975 2,283,355 5/1942 Erickson 137/505.43 X 3,045,704 7/1962 Wi11iams.... 137/505.4l X 3,196,753 7/1965 Maurer 92/60 X Primary Eraminer-Harold W. Weakley Attorney, Agent, or Firm--Benjamin J. Barish [57] ABSTRACT Fluid regulating devices comprises a tube having an axial passageway adapted to be connected to a fluid supply pipe, the tube being formed with a radial open ing communicating with the axial passageway and a ring surrounding the tube at the radial opening thereof, the ring being disposed within a housing and being contacted by a resilient gasket mounted over a vent opening formed in the housing, such that changes in the supply pressure cause the gasket to deform and the ring to move towards or away from the radial opening to regulate the flow of fluid therethrough.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures Pmmmw 1 3% 3,882,890

SEE? 28? 4 PATH-E58 1 3, 882.890

SHEET BF 4 FLUID REGULATING DEVICES BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The fluid regulating device of the present application comprises a housing defining a fluid chamber and formed with an inlet opening, an outlet opening, and a vent opening. Disposed within the housing is a tube which includes an axial passageway for the incoming fluid, and an opening extending radially through .the wall of the tube in communication with the axial passageway, the tube passing through the housing inlet opening with the radial opening of the tube within the fluid chamber. A regulating ring is also disposed within the fluid chamber, the ring being formed with an opening of larger cross-sectional area than the outer crosssectional area of the tube and surrounding the tube in alignment with its radial opening. A resilient gasket is mounted over the housing vent opening and has an opening aligned therewith, the inner face of the gasket contacting a face of the regulating ring. In the described embodiment, the face of the regulating ring is formed with a recess aligned with the vent opening and circumscribed by a peripheral projection sealing the housing chamber with respect to the vent opening.

The arrangement is such that changes in the pressure at the outlet opening tend to produce changes in the fluid pressure within the housing chamber, causing the resilient member to deform and the regulating ring to move towards and away from the radial opening of the tube in a radial direction with respect to the tube to regulate the flow of the fluid therethrough into the housing fluid chamber, and thereby to regulate the pressure therein.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The invention is herein described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a sectional view of one form of fluid pressure regulator constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along lines IIII of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a view similar to that of FIG. 2, but illustrating the displacement of parts of the regulator when the inlet pressure far exceeds the regulated outlet pressure;

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGS. 1-3 EMBODIMENT The regulator illustrated in FIGS. 1-3 comprises a housing 2 defining a fluid chamber therein, and formed with an inlet opening 4 and an outlet opening 6. A tube 8 is removably and non-rotatably supported in inlet opening 4. For this purpose, inlet opening 4 is squareshaped, and tube 8 is of similar square-section. A washer 9 provides a seal between housing 2 and tube 8, the latter carrying a collar 10 bearing against the washer.

Outlet opening 6 of housing 2 is formed centrally of an upper cap 11 threaded onto the bottom section of the housing. Cap 11 could be part of the rotary sprinkler or other device receiving the fluid. Another opening 12 is formed in the bottom wall of the housing. This opening serves as a vent to a part of the regulator within the housing as will be described more fully below.

The outer end 14 of inlet tube 8 is adapted to be coupled to the fluid supply. This tube includes an axial passageway 16 extending from the outer end 14 but terminating short of the inner end 18 within the housing. A radial opening 20 is formed through the wall of tube 8 at right angles to passageway 16 and communicates therewith, so that the fluid issues into the regulator through opening 20.

Disposed within housing 2 and surrounding inlet tube B is a regulating ring member generally designated 22. This ring is of square-section and has an inner bore of square-section of larger diameter than tube 8, thus defining a top wall 24 and a spaced bottom wall 26 joined by side walls 28. Inlet tube 8 is disposed between the top and bottom walls, and is straddled by the side walls 28 spaced laterally on each side thereof.

Top wall 24 of the ring carries a threaded regulating element 30 overlying and in alignment with opening 20 of the inlet tube. Bottom wall 26 rests against a resilient gasket 32 interposed between it and the bottom wall of housing 2. Gasket 32 is formed with a central opening 34 in alignment with vent 12 of the regulator housing 2. The underside of bottom wall 26 of the regulating ring is recessed, as shown at 26, the recess being circumscribed by a peripheral projection contacting gasket 32 and sealing the housing chamber with respect to vent openings 12 and 34. This recess communicates with openings 34 and 12 so that this underside surface of the bottom wall 26 is vented to the outside atmosphere.

Gasket 32 may be made of rubber or other resilient plastic material and is formed with a circumferential V-shaped groove 36 between its upper and lower faces.

In operation, the flow of the water through radial opening 20 will tend to move ring 22 towards and away from the opening, as described below. The magnitude of displacement of ring 22 is controlled by gasket 32 and will vary in accordance with the water pressure to regulate the outlet pressure in the following manner:

First, the regulated outlet pressure may be preset by threading regulating element 30 of ring 22 towards or away from opening 20 of the inlet tube 8; the further away the regulating element is set from the bore, the higher will be the regulated outlet pressure.

It will be seen that the outlet pressure of the fluid exiting through outlet 6 will be the same pressure as the fluid within housing 2. This pressure is applied to regulating ring 22, particularly to the upper side of its top wall 24, causing it to compress gasket 32. The counterpressure is constituted by the resistance of gasket 32 to compression, and by the atmospheric pressure, the latter being applied through vent openings 12 and 34 to the underside (recess 26') of the ring bottom wall 26.

Now as the pressure within housing 2 exceeds the preset value, the fluid pressure within the housing presses ring 22 against resilient gasket 32, compressing it and thereby lessening the flow of the inlet fluid into the housing. As the pressure within the housing thereby drops, ring 22 decreases the compression of resilient gasket 32, which increases the flow of fluid into the regulator.

The use of a gasket 32 having the circumferential groove 36 has been found to provide a more linear compression-force relationship and therefore to maintain the regulator output pressure more constant with increasing input pressures. FIG. 3 illustrates the extent of compression of the gasket under a very high inlet pressure, wherein it will be seen that the circumferential groove 36 has been completely closed.

To assemble the regulator it is only necessary to re move cap (which in most cases will be a part of the rotary sprinkler or other device to which the regulator is attached), to press down (e.g., by the thumb) the ring 22 in order to slightly compress gasket 32, and then to insert inlet tube 8 into the regulator housing between the top and bottom walls of the ring 22. When the latter member is released, the upper side of its bottom wall 26 will bear against inlet tube 16 thereby firmly holding it in position, while gasket 32 is under light compression.

The regulator may be as easily disassembled, by pressing down on ring 22 and withdrawing inlet tube 8. All the parts may thus be easily inspected and any one replaced, before reassembling the regulator in the simple manner described above.

Many variations can of course be made. For example, the inlet tube 8 may be more firmly secured within housing 2, as by fixing it in opening 4 by a locking nut, and/or by having end 18 of the tube pass through another opening in the housing and fixed therein by a locking nut. Also, ring 22 may take different shapes (e.g. circular-section) from that illustrated. Further, the device can be used in other applications, for example, those in which automatic pressure-reducing valves are used for producing a large drop in outlet pressure (liquid or gas), particularly under low rates of flow conditions. The device may also be used as a low pressure tap on a high pressure line, wherein tube 18 passes through the housing wall and the inlet fluid (liquid or gas) is transmitted to other utilization devices.

I claim:

1. A fluid regulating device, comprising: a housing defining a fluid chamber and formed with an inlet opening, an outlet opening, and a vent opening; a tube having an axial passageway for the incoming fluid and an opening extending radially through the wall of the tube in communication with the axial passageway. said tube passing through the housing inlet opening with the radial opening of the tube within the fluid chamber; a regulating ring disposed within the fluid chamber, said regulating ring being formed with an opening of larger cross-sectional area than the outer cross-sectional area of the tube and surrounding the tube in alignment with the radial opening thereof; and a resilient gasket mounted over the housing vent opening and having an opening aligned therewith, the inner face of the gasket contacting a face of the regulating ring, the latter face being formed with a recess aligned with the vent opening and circumscribed by a peripheral projection sealing the housing chamber with respect to the vent opening, whereby changes in the pressure at the inlet opening tending to produce changes in the fluid pressure Within the housing chamber cause the resilient member to deform and the regulating ring to move towards and away from the radial opening of the tube in a radial direction with respect to the tube to regulate the flow of the fluid therethrough into the housing fluid chamber and thereby to regulate the pressure therein. 

1. A fluid regulating device, comprising: a housing defining a fluid chamber and formed with an inlet opening, an outlet opening, and a vent opening; a tube having an axial passageway for the incoming fluid and an opening extending radially through the wall of the tube in communication with the axial passageway, said tube passing through the housing inlet opening with the radial opening of the tube within the fluid chamber; a regulating ring disposed within the fluid chamber, said regulating ring being formed with an opening of larger cross-sectional area than the outer cross-sectional area of the tube and surrounding the tube in alignment with the radial opening thereof; and a resilient gasket mounted over the housing vent opening and having an opening aligned therewith, the inner face of the gasket contacting a face of the regulating ring, the latter face being formed with a recess aligned with the vent opening and circumscribed by a peripheral projection sealing the housing chamber with respect to the vent opening, whereby changes in the pressure at the inlet opening tending to produce changes in the fluid pressure within the housing chamber cause the resilient member to deform and the regulating ring to move towards and away from the radial opening of the tube in a radial direction with respect to the tube to regulate the flow of the fluid therethrough into the housing fluid chamber and thereby to regulate the pressure therein. 